Tractor-plow.



F. M'. BOWELL.

TRACTOR PLOW.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26. 1917.

1 ,272,905. Patented July 16, 1918.

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F. M5 BOWELL,

TRACTOR PLOW.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 26.- I917 Pa-tentedJuly 16, 1918.

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FRANCIS MARION'BOWELL, or some, INDIANA.

TRACTOR-PLOW.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16, 1918.

Application filed July 26, 1917. Serial No. 182,899.

ground and by means of which astraight furrow will be plowed.

In accordance with the inventionthere is provided a suitable frame with plows arranged in line one with the other in the direction oftravel of the machine, but so mounted that only one plow is in service at a time. structed as to be hinged intermediately of its length with the plows on opposite-sides of the axis of the hinge, and at opposite ends of the frame there are mounted steering wheels each capable of adjustment independently of the other. The machine carries a power unit which may be in the form of an explosion engine. r

The. invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings showing a practical embodiment of the invention, with the understanding however that the machine as shown may be changed and modified in. various ways so long as-such changes and modifications come within the scope of the-appended claims.

In the drawings I I Figure 1 is a plan view of a tractor plow embodying the invention.

Fig.2 ispa side-elevation with the drive shaftin section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3. is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2. l.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view offaflplow beamsupport." I

Fig. 5 is a detail view showing aportion of one of the shearing levers.

Referring to the drawings there is shown a main frame 1 comprising twousections 2, 3, respectively, joined at adjacent ends by split collars 4 connected to the frames by straps 5, or otherwise, and encircling a shaft. 6, which-latter, as will hereinafter appear,-

constitutes both a. power shaft and an axle. The shaft or axle 6 carries traction wheels The frame of the machine is so con-- 7 at the ends, beyond the sides of the frame 1, and to facilitate movements the shaft or axle 6 is connected to the respective traction wheels'through differential gearing, simply indicated' by-casings 8, since it is common to employdiiferential gearing between traction wheels andthe drive shaft or axle thereof, and hence it'is not deemed necessary to illustrate such gearing in detail.

Mounted on section 2 of the'main frame 1 is a power unit 9 shown more or less conventionally as an explosion engine. Since many types ofsuch engines may be used for the purposes, no attempt is made to illustrate any particular form of explosion engine; On the shaft of the engine 9 is a clutch member .10 movable into engagement with either one of two opposed bevel wheels 11, which are loosely mounted, but both meshing with a bevel pinion 12 on one end of the shaft 13 carrying another bevel pinion 14 on its other end, the shaft 13 being suitably mounted on the frame .of the engine 9. or on any other suitable support. The pinion 14: is in mesh with a bevel gear wheel 15 loose on one end of a countershaft; 16

. having journal bearings 17 on one of the secother end, is connected by a link 21 to an operating lever 22 carried by a rack 23 and provided with a usual thumb-latch 24:. The lever 22 provides a convenient means for connecting the engine to the drive shaft 6, when the cluch 15 is open, so that the shaft 6 may be driven in one direction or the other without reversing the engine. In this way, power is applied to the traction wheels 7 for driving the tractor in either direction in accordance with the will of the operator, in a manner similar to the operation of the reverseon an automobile or tractor. It will be understood that since explosion engines usually run at relatively high speed, the gearing connections between the engine 9 and shaft 6 are properly proportionedto produce a desirable reduced speed of rotation to the traction wheels. 7

At opposite ends ofthe mainframe 1 are steering wheels 25, 26, respectively, e cii' mounted in a yoke 27 provided with'a stem 28 journaled in and rising through "a re may be. Hinged to the upper end of each be moved on its hinge to the depressed dotted lineposition .shown in Fig. "2 to engage in any one of a series of notches in a rack frame 30upstanding from the platform 1.-

In Fig. l the lever arms "29fsare shown in full lines in, the depressed position. vThe steering wheels 25 :are, located near opposite. ends of the main frame so-that they'may be set in alinement -onelwith theother.

The machine is provided; with opposed plows 31, 32-,wre'spectively, each provided with plow. beams 33. These plowsrmay'be taken as indicative of any suitable plows ifor thepurpose and areiso arranged :as to fact Furthermore, while:

in opposite directions; only 1 single plows are shown, it will beunderstood thatgangs of plows may :be employed. Each plow 'beani 33'at the end remote from the plowsshare is pivotally mounted 'on a yoke member 34:- carried legs 53% Spendentlyhung from-acorresponding one=of the two sections 2 and '3 of the mainframe 1;

The legs 34%.arethreaded for the reception of nuts 3",whereby the yoke vmember -34 may be adjusted up and down at either or both ends Furthermore "the yokeEmember 34 isconnected-toone end ofa link.85,-the other end of'which is-pivoted in a bracket 36 onthe under'iside' of the section of the main frame remote" from that carryin'g the member '34 to which the plow isialsocon-- nected Hounds 34 are carried by "each yoke memberfi above and below there spective plow beam, guiding and bracin'g'the latter. Each :p'low is supported "by :a link 37 from the short arm-38 o'f anangle lever 39' pivotally mounted ona-scorresponding section of themain' fram'e and risingthrough the 1 main frame l to a point: above the latter. E'aelrlever 39' is movable along a'rack segment-40 andis -h'eldi to the-"segment in any adj ustedposition'by a latch device 41' under the control of fa thumb piece "42 oarried by the lever. i r

Each; lever 39 provides-means I for-elevating or 'depressing the i-espeotiveuplowFand holding it in eitheriposition.- The yokesfii and the links'351imparta desirable-flexibility to the plow. supports to permit them to conform'tto-the :flGXilOlllty df the mainlframe due to I the hinge I connection of fthe main frame sections I through the shaft; 6, which consti: tutes 1a ihingecpintle:

- When plowingwith the tractor i plow of.

the invention the wheels 25,926:areismset as to maintain' the. plowiistructure in a: straight 1ineof1trajve1and oneofithe ewss 61evatedwhile'the other is depressed. With the engi'nerumiing and coupled up to the tracspectlve frame sect1on=21or 3, -as the:ca'se-' non wheels' tO rotate tlie latter in a proper direction, the active plow is given a forward stem 28 is a manipulating arm 29 provided witha spring finger 29 for holding it in'j'a normally-upright position as shown in "full lines in Fig. 2, from which positionit; may

trailing 'grelation .to the active plow runs. One of the traction wheels is upon the unplowed ground and-the other tractio-n wheel is so located as tobe to one sideof the furrow being produced and'in the old furrow- I When the endofithe field is approached by, say, i'twenty-or thirty feet, the steering wheel, then constituting the main steering Wheel is adjusted to direct themachineto one sideof theJine-of the furrow' produce'd, thus shiftingithe machine to an extent. measured bythe widthof the: furrow. Tlieirthe plow first active-is raisedrand the :other plow is depressed.-v The clutch 15 is .-released and the gearing-between the engine and the drive sha'ftis r versed, whereupon; when theclutch '15 1i's again coupled, .the machine starts back 1 over the field toward the other. end and by a 'propenadjnstment of thezsteering wheels proceeds-toward the a movement and engages the ground back of V traction wheels 1n a posltlon to produce ""a furrowin whlch the steering wheel, in

first-end of the field but this-time with the other steering wheel traveling in the newly produced furrow. The result is thatxthe machine isguided,. ingthe :revers'e :travel toward the other -end of the field, in most part automatically- The operations .described are-repeated at each endof the field and the furrows r are produced one after the other without any wastage attheendsof'the field and without the diecessity of :"turning the mach-ine'about; 'By .fhing-ing ior :otherwise' 'makingI-the frame flexible between its ends randrg'pr'efer ably .intermediately of its..length,*ithe::;machine-readily conforms "to'all' inequalitiesof the ground =over which it travels and the plows automatically maintain the; .dep th of their cut without material variation. -;:Fnrthermore the active plow tendsiito-holdithe steering wheel behind it a and itlle z-traction Wheel in' front of it inzfirlnzengagementavith the ground thereby preventing 1 slippage In order tjo smooth olf the p1owed ground as the machine travels over it a drag ll'3 is spaced by a link 44: from the appropriate end of the axle'6fi-andz -other links :45 con nect the respective-ends of the'idrag stofthe corresponding ends .of the imainli'fralne T1, the several links sgivin'gzthe. ineeded 19flexi= 7 may.

constituting a pintle for the hinges and connected to the power unit for actuation thereby.

2. A tractor plow provided with a main frame composed of sections hinged together, plows individual to the sections and each connected to the other section, a power unit mounted on the main frame, a power shaft or axle constituting a pivotal connection for the sections of the main frame and having means for coupling it to the power unit, and traction wheels on the shaft for driving the tractor plow.

3. A tractor plow comprising a main frame made up of two sections with an intermediate power shaft constituting a hinge pivotally connecting the two sections, a plow on each section with the plows reversed and having means for raising and lowering them, whereby one plow or the other may be made active in accordance with the dire tion of travel of the machine, tractor wheels on the shaft for supporting and driving the tractor plow, a power unit for driving the shaft extending lengthwise of and over the latter and steering wheels at the ends of the tractor plow.

4. A tractor plow structure provided with a main frame, opposed plows carried by the main frame, means for raising and lowering the share ends of the plows, and a suspension means for the forward end of-the beam of each plow comprising a yoke with pivoted suspension legs and a link extending from theyoke toward and connected to that end portion of the main frame remote from the plow.

5. A tractor plow structure provided with a main frame, opposed plows carried by the main frame, means for raising and lowering the share ends of the plows, and a suspension means for the forward end of the beam of each plow comprising a yoke member with pivoted suspension legs adjustably connected to the yoke member for raising and lowering either or both ends of the yoke member, and a link extending from the yokemember toward and connected to that end portion of the frame remote from the plow. 6. A tractor plow structure provided-with a main frame composed of two sections hinged together intermediate of the length of the frame, driving means on the frame having a power shaft constituting a hinge pintle for the two sections of the main frame, opposed plows carried by the two sections of the main frame, and suspending means for the forward end of the beam of each plow comprising a pivoted yoke on one side of the power shaft; and a link connected to the yoke and extending beneath the power shaft to the other side thereof and there in turn pivoted to the corresponding section of the main frame.

7. A tractor plow structure provided with a main frame composed of two sections hinged together intermediate of the length of the frame, driving means on the frame having a power shaft constituting a hinge pintle for the two sections of the main frame," opposed plows carried by the two sec tions of the main frame, and suspending FRANCIS MARION BOWELL.

Witnesses:

LEMUEL DAnRow, MABEL BRooKs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

